Dishwasher rack and supporting frame



May 15, 1956 c. R. SEBENS 2,745,707

DISHWASHER RACK AND SUPPORTING FRAME Filed Oct. 30, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheetl k Ifivefig N Car-l R.5ebens,

ii b

'His Attorneg.

May 15, 1956 C. R. SEBENS DISHWASHER RACK AND SUPPORTING FRAME FiledOct. 50, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 $3 6-, WWW/WW Inventor:

Car-I R. Sebens,

His Attorneg.

DISHWASHER BACK AND SUPPGRTING FRAME Carl R. Sebens, Bridgeport, Conn.,assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New Yuri;

Application October 39, 1952, Serial No. 317,798

3 Claims. (Cl. 312-611) This invention relates to dishwashing machines,and more particularly to a dish rack and supporting frame structure,which is slidably mounted for movement into and out of the machine.

An object of my invention is to provide a dish rack construction for adishwashing machine which facilitates loading and removal of the dishes,silverware and utensils placed therein.

A further object of my invention, in connection with a dishwasher, is toarrange supporting racks for dishes so that there is complete access toall parts thereof without removal of any section of the rack from themachine.

Still further objects of my invention include the provision of aneconomically constructed rack assembly for such machines, whicheffectively utilizes all available space within the washing compartment,with sections of the rack being capable of being withdrawn from themachine individually.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of this invention, as appliedto a front opening dishwasher having an access door hinged at its loweredge, a lower dish rack is integral with roller mounted supporting framemembers, so that both the frame and lower rack may be rolled into or outof the machine. These frame members also include top rails extendinginto the machine along the side walls thereof for slidable support ofthe front portion only of an upper dish rack. The rear portion of thisupper rack is slidably supported on tracks formed internally on the sidewalls of the washing tub. With this arrangement, the lower rack andsupporting frame can be pulled out for loading, while the upper rackremains within the machine; and subsequently the upper rack can be movedout for loading. A stop arranged between the upper rack and thesupporting rails prevents the upper rack from extending out of themachine beyond its supported position. Hence, whenever the lower rack ispushed back into the tub or cabinet, the upper rack likewise isautomatically returned to a position within the cabinet.

My invention will be better understood from the following descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and its scope willbe pointed out with particularity in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates a dishwasher embodying myinvention in front elevation, with a portion thereof broken away toillustrate interior construction; Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly insection; Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partially in section, similar toFig. 2, but with the dish racks shown in their extended positions; Fig.4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. l, in thedirection of the arrows; Fig. 5

is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is across sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 7 is afragmentary view, partly in section of a modified form of my inventionincorporated in a dishwasher generally similar to the one shown in Fig.2.

Referring now to the drawings, particularly Figs. 1

" nite States Patent and 2, I have shown my invention as embodied ina'front opening dishwasher having an outercasing 1 of generallyrectangular configuration, which may carry or be apart of a suitablecounter or sink 2, as shown in phantom lines. This casing encloses awashing tub having top and bottom walls 3 and 4 respectively, side walls5 and 6, and a rear wall 7. This tub may be secured within casing 1 inany suitable manner and in the present illustration, Fig. 2, I haveshown only one suchpoint ofsupport through bracket means 8 at the rearof the machine. It is to be understood, of course, that additionalpoints of support are provided as necessary to rigidly support the tuband its contents within the enclosing casing. The bottom 4 of the tubextends downwardly to form a well 9 into which a quantity of water orwashing solution may be placed, from whence it may be thrownviolentlyupwardly over the dishes by any suitable means (not shown).Additionally, top wall 3 is formed with a plurality of circularcorrugations 10 and sloping interconnecting faces between corrugationssuch as 11, whereby the upwardly impelled water upon striking the topWall will be reflected in diverse directions to further aid in thoroughcleansing of articles placed within the machine.

A front wall, completing the tub enclosure, is provided by means of adoor indicated generally at 12 (Fig. 1). As herein shown by Figs. 2 and?a,'this door consists of an outer panel 13 upon which may be secured ahandle 14 adjacent its upper edge, and an inner door panel 15 secureo tothe outer panel by any suitable means, such as by welding alongcontiguous edges. An inwardly extending rim 16 of the inner door panelpresents exterior surfaces closely approaching corresponding surfaces ofthe sides, top, and bottom of the tub at the front portions thereof. Asan additional precaution, to prevent water from leaking or being thrownout of the machine past the door, I employ a flexible sealing gasket 17adapted to make contact with internally projecting beads 10a formed inthe top and side tub walls (see .Fig. 2). To provide access to the tub,door 12 ishinged at its lower edge on hinge pins 18 carried by brackets19, which in turn are secured to the bottom wall of the tub. To limitthe pivotal movement of the front door in its opening direction, Iemploy one or more arcuate stop arms 20 secured to the door, which aremovable 'within slots formed within either the casing or the tub, andhaving a projection 21 thereon limiting the pivotal movement tosubstantially Thus, when the door is pivoted tov its open position, asshown in Fig. 3, its upper surface 15 is substantially horizontal.

To support dishes, utensils, or other articles'within the machine, Iemploy upper and lower dish-rack assemblies 22 and 23 respectively. Asherein illustrated, the upper rack is formed from lengths of relativelyrigid wire, preferably of stainless steel, which are welded together ateach point of intersection. While a number of different configurationsof these supporting wires may be made, I prefer to form the upper rackwith an outer portion 24 (Fig. 4) for receiving small plates, saucers,bowls, and other similar articles, whereby'they are retained in a moreor less vertical position; and an inner circular supporting area 25 forglasses, cups and the like. Lower rack 23, likewise fabricated fromsuitable lengths of stainless steel wire, comprises, for example, a topframe member 26 and a lower frame member 27, with suitable verticalspacing members 28 as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2. Thus, asubstantially rectangular frame is provided for a plurality of upwardlyand angularly arranged supporting fingers 29 appropriately shaped andspaced to receive dinner plates and other large articles. Obviouslyeither rack may be provided with an appropriate perforated cup (notshown) to receive silverware and other small articles.

To support racks 22 and 23 in desired positions within the tub, I employframe members integral with the lower rack, here shown as of an invertedU-shape, having a top rail and downwardly extending front and rear legs31 and 32. Preferably each of these frame members is arranged adjacentto sidewalls 5 and 6 respcc' tively and in a plane parallel thereto, Thelower terminus of each of the legs is provided with movable supportingmeans, such as rollers 33. To secure a roller to its associated leg,each leg may be provided with a right angle bend at its terminus toprovide an axle por tion 34, as clearly illustrated by Fig. 5. Whilerollers are shown herein for the mounting, obviously other types ofslidable or anti-friction members may be employed for mounting the lowerrack structure within the machine. Lower rack assembly 23 is suitablysecured to and made integral with these vertically extending legs, forexample, by spot welding to the frat members 26 and 27. The supportframe may be given additional rigidity, if desired, by use of atransverse rod member 35 as shown in Figl.

To receive each of the rehr rollers 33, I prefer to form tracks 36 atthe junctures between sidewalls 5 and 6 and the bottom wall 4. Byforming tracks as in a substantially horizontal plane, the rear portionsof the supporting frame and the lower rack are mounted for movement intoand out of the washing tub. At the forward portion of these tracksadjacent the front door, I secure angle brackets 37, each having avertically extending portion 38, which form stops for rear rollers 33,thus preventing the frame and lower rack from accidentally rollingcompletely out of the machine. Brackets 37 may additionally provide apoint of support, by means of a horizontal surface 39, for front rollers33 of the supporting frame. A slight hump dtl formed in each bracket 37,between its horizontal portion 3% and its vertical portion 33, is addedto limit inward movement of the rack and supporting frame assemblies,thereby to protect the contents of the racks from a sudden contact withthe rear wall of the tub upon movement into the tub.

Referring now to Fig. 3, which illustrates the door in its fully openposition, suitable track means 41 for front rollers 33 are arranged onthe top surface 15 of the door. These tracks 41 desirably are in thesame horizontal plane with the horizontal portion 39 of bracket 37, sothat the entire supporting frame is presented a smooth path for rollingmovement. At the outer end of each track 41 on the front door, a slightdownward incline 42 is formed to retain the rack and frame assembly inits fully extended or withdrawn position.

To facilitate loading and unloading of the machine, I have arrangedupper rack assembly 22 for movement independently of the lower rack whenthe lower rack is in its extended position. As clearly shown in Figs.l-3, the front portion of the upper rack has secured thereto slideblocks 43 and 44 by means of wire frame members 45 welded to the upperrack at each of its forward corners. Each of the slide blocks, formed ofa material which slides with a minimum of friction,

'has a V-shaped groove 46 adapted to ride on the corresponding top rail38 of the lower rack frame. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, transverse rod35, welded to the front end of each of the top rails functions as a stopto limit forward motion of the slide blocks and thereby preventaccidental withdrawal of the top rack beyond its supported position onthe top rails. Rod 35 may also serve as a convenient handle formanipulating the racks.

To support the rear of upper rack 22, horizontal tracks 48 and 49 areformed along the upper portions of side walls 5 and 6 respectively.Obviously, these tracks may be pressed directly out of the. materialforming the sidewalls or may be in the form of separate brackets affixedto the sidewalls. The upper rack includes a pair of supporting brackets50 and 51, with the outer end of each bracket carrying a pair of sliderblocks or rollers 52 and 53 as clearly shown in Fig. 2. These rollersare herein shown as mounted on a vertical axis, thereby presentingsliding surfaces for tracks 43 and 49 and rolling surfaces against thevertical sidewalls. I prefer this arrangement for stability of the upperrack and also for the purpose of introducing a limited amount offriction tending to prevent outward movement of the upper rack as thelower rack is withdrawn. Predictable operation can be further assured byconstruction of trucks and 49, cooperating with the rear supportingmembers of the top rack, whereby initial outward movement of the toprack from the tub causes a slight vertical movement of the rack. Forexample, the end of the tracks adjacent rearwall 7 may be formed with aslight downward slope, as shown at 54- in Fig. 2; the same resultobviously could be accomplished by emvloying blocks, each having asloping bearing face riding on a flat track The latter construction isillustrated in fig. 7, in which slidable support member 52a has adownwardly sloped face toward the rear of the tub and engages the rearend or corner of track 4% which corresponds to track 49 previouslydiscussed above. The engagement between the tracks and slidable supportmembers issuch that a resistive force is exerted on the sliding memberswhen the rack assembly is moved forwardly and is such that theinitial-outward movement of the upper rack is thereby restrained.

During the washing operation or when the machine is at rest, both of thedish racks 22 and 23, along with the supporting frame, are retainedwithin the machine in the position shown by Figs. 1 and 2. In thisposition it may be seen that both racks are adequately supported, sincethe lower ra k, which is integral with the supporting frame, is carriedby four rollers 33 on the legs of the supporting frame. The upper rack,in turn, is supported at its front on slide blocks 43 and 44, which inturn rest upon top rails 33 of the frame. Upper rack 22 is additionallysupported at its rear by its pair of brackets 51? and 51, each carryingthe sliding members 52 and 53, resting upon respective sidewall tracksand 49. When it is desired to gain access to the dish racks, either forremoval of the contents or for loading, the front door is opened,pivoting about the hinge at its lower edge to a substantially horizontalposition. As explained above, the door is retained in this position byarcuate stop arms. At this time the combined supporting frame and lowerrack may be pulled out of the machine with relative ease in View of itsroller mounting. The upper rack will remain within the tub, since therear portion of this rack must rise up a slight incline upon its initialoutward movement; and whereas the limited friction of slide blocks 43,44 on top rails 3t: provides insufiicient force to commence outwardmovement of the top rack. Hence the lower rack is fully exposed forready access. At any time, while the lower rack remains withdrawn, or inits extended position, the upper rack may be pulled forward to itsexposed position. Obviously, either rack may be completely removed atany time, although normally this will be entirely unnecessary sinceeither rack may be placed in an exposed position for complete accessthere to. The stop 35 secured to the top rails prevents any outwardmovement of the upper rack beyond the top rails, and also serves theuseful function of returning both racks into the machine whenever thesupporting frame is returned into the machine.

While the present invention has been described by reference to aparticular embodiment thereof it will be understood that numerousmodifications may be made by those skilled in the art without actuallydeparting from the invention. l, therefore, in the appended claims tocover all such equivalent variations as come within the true spirit andscope of the foregoing disclosures.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. In a dishwasher having an enclosing tub of substantially rectangularconfiguration with a front opening door therefor hinged with respect tosaid tub along the lower edge thereof, a rack assembly for supportingdishes within said tub comprising a pair of inverted U-shaped supportingframe members each including a substantially horizontal top rail,rollers on the lower terminals of said frame members, means in said tuband on said door When in its open position defining tracks parallel withthe side walls of said tub for said rollers, a lower dish rack rigidlysecured to said frame members, an upper dish rack, supporting blockssecured to said upper rack at the front thereof and positioned forslidable movement on said frame top rails, upper support rollers securedto said upper rack at the rear thereof, an upper track formed on theside walls of said tub for receiving said upper supporting rollersthereby providing support for the rear portion of said upper rack, therear end of said track terminating in a downwardly sloped portion onwhich said upper supporting rollers rest when said upper rack is withinsaid tub, and stop means preventing outward movement of said supportingblocks beyond the forward end of said top rails.

2. In combination, a dishwasher having an enclosed tub of substantiallyrectangular configuration with a front opening access door hinged at itslower edge, upper and lower dish racks movable into and out of said tub,and support means for said racks comprising a pair of supporting framemembers each having a top rail in a substantially horizontal plane anddownwardly extending front and rear legs, a roller at the terminus ofeach of said supporting frame legs, means within said tub and on saiddoor when in its open position defining tracks for said rollers, saidlower rack being rigidly secured to said frame members, sidewall tracksformed in the sidewalls of said tub adjacent said upper rack, meansslidably supporting the rear portion of said upper rack on said sidewalltracks, the rear end of said tracks terminating in a downwardly slopedportion on which said last mentioned means are supported when said upperrack is within said tub, and means supporting the front portion of saidupper rack on said top rails.

3. In a dishwasher having an enclosed tub of substantially rectangularconfiguration with a front opening door therefor hinged with respect tosaid tub along the lower edge thereof, a rack assembly movable into andout of said tub for supporting dishes comprising a lower rack having topsupporting rails adjacent to said side Walls, means mounting said lowerrack for movement into and out of said cabinet, an upper rack having itslower front portion slidably mounted on said rails of said lower rack,upper track members on the side walls of said tub, said upper rackhaving support members at its rear slidable upon said track members andengageable with the rear end of said track members when said upper rackis within said tub, at least one of said members having an inclinedsurface downwardly sloped toward the rear of said tub and contacting theone of said members engageable therewith when said upper rack is withinsaid tub so as to exert resistive force when said rack assembly is movedforwardly, whereby the initial outward movement of the upper rack isresisted by engagernent of said members, so as to allow the lower rackto be moved out of said tub independently of said upper rack.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS851,711 Tory Apr. 30, 1907 1,761,303 Hunter June 3, 1930 2,620,811Walker Dec. 9, 1952

